


to be, or not to be.

by chosuiri



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, content warning for hamlet in the notes, immense amount of references to hamlet! the shakespeare nerd comes out, romeo/juliet side ship!, shakespeare strikes again, spoilers for all romeo and juliet events, spoilers for hamlet ig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28677609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chosuiri/pseuds/chosuiri
Summary: The bard's new play is a thrilling revenge story, starring... Benvolio as its lead, Hamlet. This, of course, was at Anthony's insistence, emphasizing that Benvolio was more than ready to keep playing the lead. Benvolio reluctantly agrees, under the condition that Romeo takes part in the play as well.
Relationships: Anthony/Benvolio (Granblue Fantasy)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	to be, or not to be.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noirwick](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noirwick/gifts).



> hi cen i hope you like it. thank you for letting me have my Shakespeare indulgence. as a treat 
> 
> also so romeo is the one writing this play so this hamlet is Mostly the same but I make some changes. go sparknotes hamlet if you want to know the truth but I kept mostly everything the same, except I deviated a lot in the ending to make it happier and Gay. i also summarize most of it in the last part of the fic so no need to know anything about hamlet! but check it out afterward it's one of my favorite plays.
> 
> content warning wise, hamlet includes a Lot of Death , as you would guess. in the original literally everyone fucking dies except for horatio and fortinbras. i don't delve into anything so just scroll by my summary of hamlet if you'd rather avoid the murder!

“Good to know that the Bard still has time to work on his plays while also being the Lord,” Anthony teases as he reclines on the couch, earning a scolding glare from Benvolio. “Whaat? He doesn’t mind.”

“You’re being rude,” Benvolio bites his lip, shaking his head before smiling again as he looks at his cousin, “Lord Romeo, what have you summoned us for?”

Romeo sighs, adjusting his hat as he lays out the papers for his new script. “One, I allocate time for this. The original left his legacy to me, after all. It wouldn’t be right if I abandoned that just because I got married. Secondly, we’re here to discuss the next play. I have a few thoughts… I was thinking of doing something with a revenge plot.”

“Revenge?” Benvolio blinks, “hm… if it’s like that, then it’ll be a good idea to make Anthony play the main character. His acting is moving, especially those sorts of emotions.”

Anthony shrugs, “well, you’re not wrong! You already have an idea for who the protagonist would be?”

Romeo nods, “yes, his name is Hamlet. He’s stubborn, determined, and loyal to his father, the previous king. His uncle, Claudius, poisoned King Hamlet and stole both the throne and the late King Hamlet’s wife. King Hamlet’s ghost requests that Hamlet takes revenge for him. Hamlet seeks to accomplish this by pretending to act crazy to deceive the king and queen and throw them off of his plans to murder them. His madness also has truth in it—”

“Huh, sounds like it’d be perfect for me,” Anthony shrugs, “but it’d be kinda boring, don’t you think? I have a proposal, Lord Bard!”

Romeo breaks out in a small, but tired smile. “What kind of nickname is that? Well, let’s hear it.”

“I think your dearest cousin Benvolio should play the lead!” Anthony exclaims, presenting Benvolio with a flourish of his hand. “You wouldn’t expect such spite from him! The gap!”

Benvolio flushes, “no way! I can’t possibly play such an important role… the execution of it would be hard, since… Anthony! You know how I usually get into my roles!”

Anthony smirks, “exactly. Think of it as another challenge! You said Lady Juliet was to act as the female lead?”

“Ah, yes,” Romeo frowns, “since this story is doomed to be a tragedy, though… Juliet thought that Ophelia’s role would be interesting to play. I wish I could think of a happier ending for her.”

“A tragedy, you say…” Benvolio pauses, “It won’t be too bad as long as the protagonist lives into the end. Perhaps a bittersweet ending will fare better. I-I think… it would be profound that way, too. A prince taking revenge for his father, and when the deed is done, he lives with that torment that he fulfilled the wish of the dead, but not without its consequences… the implication that his then purpose had been filled and he must seek another purpose.”

Benvolio pauses after the words leave his lips. Well, now he’s said that out loud… it doesn’t sound too far fetched from him after all. Part of his duty as an actor is to find those similarities he had to his characters, emphasize those, and step into their shoes. The ability to understand another’s motivations… 

Anthony grins, “well, look at that. You already understand Hamlet’s character. So, sounds good, right?”

“Wait. I have one condition.” Benvolio smiles, eyes going to Romeo.

“What is it?” Romeo blinks, picking up his cup of tea and taking a sip. 

“Um… Lord Romeo. If possible… I’d like to see you act one more time!”

Romeo spits out his tea and carefully sets his cup down in a frenzy. “What!? Me? You know my acting sucks, Benvolio! Please, I beg of you not to bring that back up again…”

Benvolio shakes his head, “Lord Romeo… I thought your acting has its own charm to it. Please! I’ll work hard if it means being able to act with you!” Benvolio’s eyes sparkle, upturned at his cousin with the cutest expression he could muster. “Lady Juliet will love to act with you, too… you can make it so you don’t act in the same scenes so you don’t mess up…”

Romeo opens his mouth to protest, but eventually sighs and gives in. “Fine. Just this once.” He sighs, “but I’d rather not it be my fault that this play isn’t a success…”

“Oh, come on…” Anthony drawls out with a grin, “you’ll be great, Lord Bard. Hey, this way people would never suspect you to be the new Bill the Bard.”

Romeo sighs. “Well, let’s see what I can do. Don’t go hyping up everyone’s expectations— on second thought, let’s keep me being part of the cast a secret.”

“A-Anything you wish, Lord Romeo!” Benvolio exclaims with an earnest look on his face. This earns him a laugh from Anthony— of course, it wasn’t anything malicious, but Benvolio glares at him in response.

* * *

A week later, Romeo had a copy of the script delivered to Benvolio’s quarters. With the council duties being done for the day, Benvolio finally has the chance to read through the play. In privacy, there’s no reason to hide his glee. So as Benvolio sits down, he immediately turns the page of the script Romeo provided. He’s quite fast at reading, and Romeo’s plays have always been so compelling that he got completely immersed in no time. Since he was cast as the main character Hamlet, he marks his lines with a pen, underlining and circling the name “Hamlet”. 

He gets fully engrossed in the play, and by the time he’s in Act Five...

A knock sounds at his balcony door. Benvolio glances up with a stir, placing his script to the side as he gets up from his seat. On the way to answer the door, he makes sure to grab a thick enough tome to knock off whatever nightly assailant, Benvolio makes it over to the door and draws back the curtains. A certain grinning oaf that happened to be the star of the Rose waves at him.

“Anthony?” Why does this feel like some fantastic romantic encounter found only in the plays… if  _ only _ this wasn’t happening with Anthony of all people.

“Hey there, Benny,” Anthony grins, affixing his own stupid nickname to the other, “Wanna practice?”

“We’ll be doing a proper read through tomorrow,” Benvolio shakes his head, placing the book down on his dresser and turning his gaze back to his nightly intruder. “How did you even get in here?”

“Well, I could’ve gone through the door, but I wanted to be a little dramatic.” Anthony shrugs, “I got quite some tricks under my sleeves, eh? Part of being an actor.”

“I could get you arrested for breaking and entering—”

“I knocked and you opened the door?”

Well. He’s not wrong. But still. Benvolio lets out a sigh and shrugs it off. “I suppose so. You needn’t come so late… but since you made the journey, let’s read.”

“Great!” Anthony exclaims, making himself at home already in Benvolio’s reading chair, which Benvolio wasn’t quite amused at. He takes the other seat, but not without grabbing his copy of the script. “So, how far did you get?”

“Um… just finished act four. So the final act.” Benvolio pages through his script, searching for the appropriate line he stopped at. He then turns his script around and shows it to Anthony. Anthony hums as he copies Benvolio, getting onto the right page.

Anthony’s face lights up as he scans the contents of the page, “ah! This scene. I quite liked it. This scene was both morbid and interesting… would you care to read out loud?”

Benvolio blinks but slowly nods. “It wouldn’t hurt.”

The two parrot each other as they read through the jesters’ lines, but somehow kick up into their acting mode as soon as they see the stage direction for Hamlet and Horatio’s entrance.

Benvolio pantomimes a skull in the crux of his hand and pretends as if he looks at it with pity. “Let me see… ah! Alas, poor Yorick. I had known him in my youth, dear Horatio. He was a man of infinite jest! He beheld me so tenderly, and here lie the lips where that wide smile graced so often. Where are those jaundiced teeth now? Your merry-making bells that jingle upon your hat? Your boisterous laughter as you spun unbelievable tales? Prithee, Horatio… tell me one thing.” He tears his gaze from the imaginary skull to Anthony. 

“Ay, my lord. What would that be?” Anthony asks with a bow of his head. 

“Do you think that even the greatest skyfarer looks like this now?” Benvolio asks pensively as his fingers twist delicately at the air.

Anthony chuckles, “Quite so.”

“And smelled like so? Bah!” Benvolio pretends to place the skull down, but not carelessly.

“Quite so indeed, my lord.” Anthony echoes again.

“To what nothingness we return to, Horatio. Even the greatest of men crumble and become such a putrid-smelling sack of bones. This skyfarer died in an epic battle, he was then buried, and he has now decayed into the earth. Such earth becomes the base of a beer barrel— What of the man who gave all he had to get revenge on his uncle? Would he, too, return to the earth as if his life held no significance?” Benvolio lets out a long sigh as soon as he finishes reading those lines, pausing to gulp down some tea. 

“I’d say slow down on that line and draw it out. That agony is pretty important,” Anthony offers with an encouraging grin, “pretty decent delivery otherwise, Benny. You sure you haven’t already connected to Hamlet?”

Benvolio pauses, breaking character as well. “I suppose so. Just a little.”

Anthony chuckles, “well said. Better than nothing right?” He then clears his throat, immersing himself in the role of Horatio again.

“You consider this quite curiously, my lord. You miss one critical thing,” Anthony takes a pause, building the tension between the two in the scene, exhaling before he continues. “All great men return to the earth one day, but think of where else they’ve made their mark. My lord, you move me with your ambition and resolve. You represent the justice we need in this world... you are the rightful heir to this throne.”

Benvolio’s voice cracks, “Horatio… you are the truest friend I could ever ask for.” Horatio’s words remind him too much of his relationship with Romeo. The words sound so similar.

_ Isn’t it a little cruel to do this, Lord Romeo? But… now I know those earnest feelings I had were properly conveyed to you. _

A comforting hand runs through Benvolio’s golden locks, brushing the stray hairs out of place and back into place— well, sort of. Benvolio smiles, playfully swatting away Anthony’s hand, and pulls his hair out of its ponytail. “Sorry, Anthony. I need… some time... alone.”

A sharp inhale. “Sure.” The other man pulls away, a strangely fond smile on his face as he does. Anthony then flashes a small smile at Benvolio, already escorting himself out of the council member’s room. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yes. Later at rehearsal, Anthony,” Benvolio returns with a shuddering breath, “I hope you are not late.”

* * *

The initial reading of the script with the cast has gone relatively well. Romeo was a little clumsy with his own script, but after some encouragement from his wife and the others, he’s gained a little more confidence in his delivery. After four hours, the cast finished going through all their lines. There were some complaints about how long the script ran for, but some were up for the challenge.

“It’s a lovely play, but runs longer than his other plays…” Juliet hums as she ponders over what to do. She had no authority over the Rose, of course, but the cast had looked to her for her thoughts, as both a frequent spectator at the Rose and the actress for the female lead. “I say as long as there is an intermission in between to give the actors a break, it should not be a problem. I think this play is compelling enough to draw our audience to return afterward.”

Some of the Rose’s staff nods in agreement, and then its current lead director offers Juliet a smile. “That can be arranged. Thank you for your input, Lady Juliet.”

“Of course,” she returns with a pleasant smile of her own, “I’m grateful for your cooperation. Of course, I’m under your care as part of Hamlet’s cast.”

“Right. Either way, Hamlet’s cast… you’ve done well today. You are dismissed.” The director declares, turning around to instruct the other stagehands. In the meantime, the cast begins to disperse with the exception of Anthony, Juliet, Benvolio, and Romeo.

Juliet inhales. “Romeo, why is it that we don’t have any scenes together?” She asks, frowning as she flips through her script, “I was looking forward to acting with you when I heard that you were to be in the play.” 

Romeo averts his gaze, hiding his embarrassment with his script. He answers gruffly, “I wish to see you shine from behind the stage… I fear to smother your light—”

“He’s just shy!” Anthony declares as he comes up to Romeo and claps a hand on his shoulder. “Lord Bard here still isn’t confident in his acting.”

Benvolio chuckles, “yes, he’s always said he’s preferred writing to acting. It’s because of my selfishness that he’s acting right now…”

Juliet beams, coming over to pat Benvolio sweetly on the head. “Oh, you’ve done us all a great favor, Benvolio! It’s truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“Juliet…” Romeo calls her name with drooped shoulders and cheeks completely flushed in red, “Don’t laugh… my attempts at acting are still…”

“I think you did a good job, Romeo!” Juliet nudges her husband lightly with a playful grin upon her lips as she places her hand in his. She squeezes his hand reassuringly and looks up. “You can only get better from here, you know? It’s just a shame I won’t be able to act with you…”

“Ah,” Romeo blushes, but spares her a sweet smile of his own, “perhaps another time.”

Benvolio looks onto the tender scene between the lovers with mixed emotions— both happiness and envy. He lets out an unconscious sigh, but Anthony interrupts him with another muss of his hair. “Ah, Anthony. Stop messing up my hair like that.”

“Sorry… can’t help wanting to mess it up,” Anthony laughs, “say, you up for a late lunch?”

Benvolio pauses but shakes his head. “No, I should be going back to the castle now. There’s council work to be done.”

“So busy,” Anthony shrugs, but grabs Benvolio’s hand, and squeezes it just like how Juliet squeezed Romeo’s. “Perhaps another time,” he says, imitating Romeo’s tone. 

“Very funny,” Benvolio rolls his eyes, but the corners of his lips turn up out of amusement. “I won’t mind when things calm down.”

“Oh? It’s a date, then.”

Benvolio glances to the side to hide his fluster.

* * *

The day of the play’s first performance finally came. After being in a couple of plays before, Benvolio became more immune to stage fright. He sits calmly in his seat as the stagehands apply makeup to his face. He’s in for quite the long performance as the play’s main character, but he’s practiced a lot in the past weeks. Unfortunately, it was more difficult for him to keep up with his council duties since he had such an important role in a longer play, so regrettably, he had to let Rosalind pick up more of the slack. She did so without complaints, but only if she got another personal autograph from Anthony— the man was more than happy to oblige, and even offered Benvolio one. Obviously, Benvolio refused. 

Steady breathing. When the performance starts, Benvolio slips naturally into his role as Hamlet— he’s no longer the council member Benvolio. The noble who couldn’t get past his own insecurities. The one who never fulfilled his dreams… he was too late to save Romeo. Selfishly put Romeo on such a pedestal and opposed Verona’s change.

Now he is Hamlet, the prince of Denmark. He’s a little similar to Romeo but has the inclination to avenge his father and retake the throne. A prince that’s both hesitant and ambitious— someone who puts on an antic disposition to deceive those around him. Romeo crafted quite the interesting character that Benvolio found more in common with than he wanted to admit. 

Horatio and two watchmen bring Hamlet to a ghost resembling the late King Hamlet on a snowy night. The ghost tells Hamlet the truth of King Hamlet’s death, his brother Claudius had poisoned him and then married his wife Queen Gertrude. The ghost asks Hamlet to take revenge on this fiend who took the throne and his wife and then disappears with the dawn. Hamlet then resolves to carry out his father’s last wish and avenge him. However, he falters and ponders himself into what the other members of the court perceive as madness. Claudius and Gertrude, seemingly concerned about the prince, have his old friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to watch him. The Lord Chamberlain Polonius also suggests that Hamlet may be mad in love with his daughter Ophelia, but Hamlet proves this is not the case as he brushes her off and acts terribly to her.

The climax of the play comes in the third act as a theatre troupe comes to perform for the king and queen. Hamlet talks with the troupe leader, having them act out a play similar in nature to his situation of a murder. When Claudius sees this murder scene during the performance, he flees out of guilt to pray for his salvation. Hamlet considers killing him there but ultimately decides not to— delaying the murder so he could ensure Claudius would be sent to hell. Hamlet confronts his mother instead, and then when he notices someone is listening in (who he mistakenly assumed to be King Claudius), he stabs and kills them. The spy turns out to be Polonius— as a result of his crime, Hamlet gets sent to a neighboring kingdom, with his “friends” Rosencrantz and Guildenstern holding the orders for his execution. 

Ophelia, upon hearing about her father’s death, is overcome with grief and drowns in a river after spiraling into madness herself. Upon hearing of his sister’s death, Ophelia’s older brother Laertes returns from his studies. With Hamlet’s execution foiled by a pirate attack, Claudius convinces Laertes that Hamlet is the cause for his sister’s death. The king then hatches a plan to use Laertes to get rid of Hamlet, declaring that they will have a friendly duel for sport. King Claudius prepares a poisoned goblet for Hamlet to drink out of and ensures that Laertes’s sword is tinged with poison. The duel was to take place after Ophelia’s funeral. 

A young erune man named Terrance was cast as Laertes, and he held his sword elegantly with poise. Benvolio suppresses his smile as he clashes blades with the other actor— the two of them spent a while working on their sword fighting skills. Benvolio especially appreciated this time since Romeo demonstrated some of the choreography himself. 

Benvolio— or Hamlet gets the first hit, and then King Claudius asks him to drink from the goblet. Hamlet refuses, so Queen Gertrude drinks from the goblet instead, not knowing it was poisoned. Hamlet and Laertes return to the fight after exchanging those lines with the king and queen, and Laertes manages to wound Hamlet with the poisoned blade, but Hamlet manages to wound him in return. The queen falls first, and that’s when Laertes begins to succumb to the poison as well. Hamlet doesn’t quite yet, and he makes the connection that King Claudius was the one who orchestrated the poison in the first place. Incensed, the prince grabs Laertes’s sword and stabs the king, also forcing the king to drink the rest of the poisoned goblet. 

After Laertes’s final words and following death, Benvolio falls down, placing a hand on his chest as he looks up to the ceiling of the theatre. Anthony runs to his side in character, eyes wide with evident concern. “Heaven, open yourself… I am free of it. I am dead, Horatio. You shall live. Report my cause to the unsatisfied and free our kingdom from this wretched curse.”

“No, my sweet prince,” Anthony returns in a honeyed and more magnetic voice than Benvolio expects. “You will live.” He takes out a tincture from his waistcoat, waving it before opening it. “This is an antidote to cure you.”

“Oh, good Horatio…” Benvolio whispers, tearing his gaze away and turning slowly, “Why live? My purpose has been served.”

“Hear what comes?” Anthony asks, referring to the sound of marching and the clack of armor. “Here comes young Fortinbras. Stand up as the rightful king of Denmark and collaborate with this foreign prince… he’s achieved where you cannot. He will aid us in rebuilding. As long as we have you, my sweet prince. It is not yet time for us to say good night. Drink!”

“Can such a sweet tincture combat this potent poison?” Benvolio asks, but leaves his mouth open, “I have no strength. My friend, drip it in my mouth.”

Anthony nods seriously, taking a glug of the vial, and then presses his lips against Benvolio’s, transferring the antidote through those means. 

Benvolio freezes, his cheeks heating up from the sudden contact. He hears the audience going crazy at the scene. He glances up and sees the playful glint in Anthony’s eyes.

Damn him.

Romeo then marches onto the stage, causing Anthony to pull away, but not without brushing Benvolio’s hair out of his eyes. 

“What happens here,” Romeo asks gruffly, his cheeks slightly red from what he’s just witnessed. He coughs, trying to make himself return to being in character. “Such a bloodied battlefield, but this is supposedly all domestic affairs? What of Prince Hamlet?”

“He lives on,” Anthony answers quickly, “I must wait for the antidote to take effect. In the meantime, why not I regale you of what transpired here?”

Romeo nods with uncertainty, glancing over to the extras acting as the guards. “Let us haste to hear it, but first attend to all those who died here with respect.”

The play wraps up as planned after that, with the entire cast bowing by curtain call.

* * *

“What’s with you kissing me?” Benvolio complains as soon as he sits down with Anthony at the restaurant. He glances around to make sure no one is listening in and crosses his arms. “You almost threw off Lord Romeo too—”

“Felt like it,” Anthony returns with a grin, “ow, don’t kick me! I’m already paying for the meal!”

Benvolio huffs.

**Author's Note:**

> edit: MY DUMB ASS FORGOT TO PUT THE ENDING NOTE... um. thanks for reading!!! also I apologize if the ending seems rushed. i already went like 800 words over wordcap because I was infodumping hamlet so. um....
> 
> anyway playable benvolio when...
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/nobleflamme).


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